August was a rough month for me!
There, I said it. It’s been the undercurrent of everything I’ve posted, on Instagram, on my blog, on Twitter, for the past month and it’s hard to not seem like a total sad sack about everything. But I’ve felt like a total sad sack!
July was emotional: I was laid off and scrambling, feeling totally adrift.
In August, I started taking on some freelance work, but not a lot. It lacks the structure that I like to have. I’m committed to freelance work for now because it’s what I have available to me at the moment. I’m keeping an open mind, but going freelance is much easier said than done.
Anyway, let’s back up and talk about August.
1. We went to the coast!
I wrote about our trip to Rockaway Beach here. I was a bit of a mess on this trip; it was so close to being laid off and I was still dealing with a lot of anxiety and fall out from it. I wanted to have more fun than I did, but it was still enjoyable. Next time, I’m going to try not to get laid off, like, right before a trip I’ve been looking forward to for months.
2. I filled my schedule completely full for 3 weeks and nearly lost my mind!
I scheduled appointments with friends.
I got coffee with coworkers.
I visited digital marketing agencies.
I emailed everyone I’ve ever worked with to grab coffee.
I went to interviews.
I worked at coffee shops.
I spent time outside the house.
And honestly, it nearly killed me. Last week, I had three appointments nearly every single day of the week. It was great for my business (so much freelance work!), but it was not-so-great for my mental health. In the future, I’m going to keep specific days open for appointments and keep everything in those days if I can help it. Easier said than done, but last week was a lesson in “too much.”
3. I bought a new computer.
So about that working in coffee shops bit… I have an iMac, which I love, but when I went to work in coffee shops, my ancient (circa 2010!!) Macbook was not cutting it. I tried updating it to the newest OS, but I cannot remember my admin password. Oops! So I decided to scrape together some money and buy a new computer because it felt like an investment that was worth it. It’s been really nice being able to actually work now when I’m at coffee shops and I’ve gotten a lot done.
4. I wrote a lot.
When I wasn’t sending messages on LinkedIn or answering phone calls, I decided to write. I worked on my NaNoWriMo outline; I started several short stories; I’ve started writing poetry again. I hate not having anything to do and without work, I tend to be a bit listless. However, writing felt good. It felt good to just write again, even if it’s “purposeless.” Writing just for fun was a high point, honestly.
Things I’m Looking Forward to in September
I’m looking forward to the start of Fall. I know everyone who knows me is tired already, but yes, I am ready. Yes, I have a pumpkin outside my house already. And a scarecrow. No, I won’t stop being Like This.
I’m also looking forward to more days at home, working. Forrest is going back to school and Danny is going back to work, so I’ll fall into my routine a little bit and be able to actually get work done. A win win for everyone involved, honestly.
I’m looking forward to saving some money! Danny and I really have our hearts set on a big vacation in the next year. We were on our way to saving for it when I got laid off and ended up using a lot of our savings on bills and moving expenses. Major downer, but I’m hoping that with some good freelance work in the next few months, we’ll be back to our usual savings.
How was your August? Tell me about it!
